Boot-tree



N mm mm M M May 1, 1922;.

- Filed May 20. 1926 Patented May 1, 1 928 UNITED TAT mAx snnmmn, or LOS ANGELES, cams-omen.

BOOT-TREE.

Application filed Kay 20,

My invention relates to boot trees and has for its principal object the provisionof a comparatively simple, practicaland readily manipulated treehaving a wedge member that is utilized for spreading the two main members of the tree apart, and which wedge member constructed so that it may be expanded transversely with respect to the body members of the tree, thereby enabling the leg portionof the boot that is placed on the tree to be stretched to the desired degree and given the proper and desired conformation.

Furtherobjects of my invention are to provide an expansible boot tree that may be easilyv and quickly inserted in the leg of a boot and manipulated so as to stretch and give proper shape to said boot, and further, to provide simple and efficient means forexpanding and contracting the intermediate or wedge member of the tree. a

With the foregoing and other objects in view, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction andarrangement of parts that will hereinafter be more fully-de scribed and claimed and illustrated in the accon'ipanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a boot tree of my improved construction.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken line 2-2 of Fig. 1. i

Fig. 3 is an enlarged horizontal taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged horizontal taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged horizontal taken on the line 5-5. of Fig. 1.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawing which illustrates a practical embodiment of my invention, 10 designates the front member of atree, which member is preferably formed of wood and shaped to conform to the front portion of the leg between the knee and instep, and in order to minimize the weight of the entire tree, the inner portion of this front member 10 may be cutaway as designated by 11. 7

Connected by a suitably formed hinge having a horizontally disposed axis 12 to the lower end of front member 10: is a block 13 that is shaped to correspond with. the front portion of the foot including the instep and toes and the rear ortion of this block 13, or that portion to t e rear of the hinge, is provided with an inclined rear face 14.

Formed on the rear or inner face of front member 10 above and below the cut-away on the section section section 1926. Serial No. 110,327.

portion 11 are verticall disposed ribs 15. The rear member 16 of the tree, which is prefe-rabl formed of wood is shaped to conform wit 1 the calfand heel portions of the leg and the intermediate portion on the inner face of this rear member 16 is cut away as designated by 17 in order to minimize the weight of the complete structure. Formed in the inner face of rear member 16 above and below the cutaway portion 17 are ver' face of lower member 19 is provided with an inclined face'19 that is adapted to engage the inclined face 14 on the rear end of foot member 13 when the parts of'the tree are assembled for use.-'

Side member 21 connects the upper inner corner of base member 19 with the lower inner corner of top member 20, while side member 22 is formed integral with and extends upwardly from'the upper outer corner of base member 19 and the upper end of said member 22 is provided with an inwardly projecting block member 23 that occupies a notch or recess 2 1 that formed in the correspondingside of up er member 20.

Formed on the front aces of the upper and lower members 19 and 20 of the intermediate wedge are vertically disposed grooves 25 that receive the ribs 15 on front member 10wl1en the wedge is positioned between the front and rear members of the tree and formed on the rear faces of the parts 19 and 20 are vertically disposed ribs 26 that are adapted to enter andoccupy the grooves 18 in rear member 16 when the parts of the tree are assembled for use.

Extended vertically through the upper member 20 of the wedge is a rotatably arranged shaft, 27 provided onits upper end with a handle 28,-preferably. a 1oop,andsecured in any suitable manner to the lower end of this shaft is an oval-shaped disk 29 having a depending marginal flange 30. Se-

cured on the lower portion of the inner face of block 23 is an upwardly projecting hook or fin er 31 that is positioned inside or behind ange 30. I

In applying my improved tree for use, the front and foot members 10 and 13 are inserted in the leg of a boot and the inserted parts are manipulated so that the foot member 13 is positioned in the front foot portion of the boot. Rear member 16 is now inserted in the leg of the boot, after which the intermediate or wedge member is inserted between the front and rear members and in so doing the ribs 15 will be received in the grooves 25 and the ribs 26 will enter the grooves 18. r

This interengagement of the three parts of the tree very securely retains said parts in proper assembled relation, and as the intermediate member is forced downwardly between the front and rear members, the latter will be spread apart so as to stretch the leg of the boot and give the same the proper contour.

As the wedge member is forced to its downward limit of movement the .inclined face 19' on the lower front portion of member 19 will bear against the inclined face 14 on the rear end of foot member 13, thereby forcing said foot member upwardly to its limit of movement and forwardly into the foot portion of the boot to stretch the latter and impart to the same the desired contour. Before the intermediate wedge member is inserted between the front and rear members of the tree, shaft 27 is rotated so that the depending flange 30 on oval disk 29 will engage finger 31 and draw the upper portion of side member 22 inwardly, thereby practically decreasing the transverse dimensions of the upper portion of the wedge member and consequently permitting said member to be readily inserted between front and rear members 10 and 16. 7

When the wedge member has been moved downward to its limit of movement between the front and rear members of the tree, handle 28 is engaged and shaft 27 is rotated so that disk 29 is positioned with its major axis disposed transversely of the tree and as thismovement is accomplished, the flange 30, hearing against the inner face of block 23, will move said block and the upper end of side member 22 outwardly, thereby transversely expanding the upper portion of the wedge member and consequently stretching the upper portion of the leg of the boot and giving the same the desired contour.

It will be understood that in the operations just described the oval disk 29 acts as an eccentric or cam to move the upper portions of the wedge member toward or away from each other. Thus it will be seen that I have provided a relatively simple, practical and easily assembled boot tree that may be conveniently employed for stretching and preserving the which is set forth in the appended claims. 7

I claim as my invention: 1. In a boot tree, a wedge member comrisin a base ortion a side member formed P g a integral with and extending upwardly from one side of said base membenahead member formed integral with and extending laterally from the upper portion of said side member a side member formed integral with and extending upwardl from said base memberon the opposite si e thereof from the first mentioned side member the lower outer corner of the head member being notched for the reception of the upper end of the second mentioned side member, a member extending vertically through the head member and arranged for rotation therein, and a connection between the lower end of said rotatably mounted member and the upper portion of the second mentioned side member whereby the latter will be drawn inward when said rotatably mounted member is rotated.

2. In a; boot tree, the combination with separate front and rear members, of a foot member hinged to the lower portion of said front member a wedge member adapted to be positioned between said front and rear members, the upper portion of which wed e member is divided and manually operab e means arranged for rotation in the upper portion of said Wedge member said wedge member for forcing the divided upper portions thereof apart and for drawing said divided portions toward each other.

A boot tree comprising front and rear members a foot member hinged to the lower portion of said front member, an expansible member removably positioned betweensaid front and rear members and a manually operable cam arranged for rotation in the upper portion of said expansible member for expanding the same.

4. In a boot tree, the combination with separate front and rear members, of a foot member hinged to the lower ortion ofsaid front member a wedge mem er removably positioned betweensaid front and rear mem bers, the upper portion of which wedge member is divided and a camarranged; for rotation in the upper portion of said wedge member for moving the divided. upper portions thereof toward and away from each other.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

1 MAX SHERMAN. 

